


Elixir of Life

by Mkayverse



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 20:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4801466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mkayverse/pseuds/Mkayverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emmeline Michelson is put on the BAU team as a consultant to help catch a killer who carves strange symbols on the victims wrist. Emma had always admired the BAU on TV, but will it life up to working with them in real life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i do not own Criminal Minds or any of the regular characters from the show. i only own Emmeline and Sophie and all the victims. Criminal Minds belongs to Jeff Davis

            Emmeline Michelson stood at her desk in her office. She had a book signing in New York City tomorrow morning and her editor would kill her if she didn’t make it in time. She looked from her desktop to her bookshelf. She had spent years studying literature and creative writing and even mythology. She was only twenty-nine years old and was considered a master in mythology and literature.

            Emmeline turned on her TV and the news was covering a series of murders and being interviewed was SSA Aaron Hotchnor from the Behavior Analysis Unit giving the profile of the killer. She also felt an interest in these profiles and how these special agents could read people’s behavior.  Her work phone rang surprising her. Emma picked up the phone and answered.

            “Hello?” she said.

            “Emmeline Michelson, this is Chief Strauss from the BAU if you don’t mind coming down to my office, we have some business to talk about.”

            Emmeline was speechless and had no idea how to answer. “Yes ma’am.” She said without thinking she hung up the phone and packed up her stuff and went out the door to her house.

            Emmeline walked into the big and roomy office. She looked around.

            “Emmeline welcome please sit down my name is Erin Strauss.”  The blond haired woman said.

            “Thank you and please call me Emma” she replied as she sat down.

            “Emma, I called you here because the director wants you to consult in this case that our team is working on, has a few factors that would be on your level of expertise.” Chief Strauss explained to her.

            Emmeline looked at the blond haired woman for a while. “What ‘few factors’ are we talking about?” she asked out of interest. Chief Strauss pushed a vanilla folder toward her. Emma picked it up and opened it. What she saw wasn’t something that she ever wanted to have to see ever in her live. The body of a young woman had been stabbed multiple times but it was the symbols on their wrists that caught her eyes. They were cut no craved into their wrists.

            “This is terrible” Emma whispered more to herself. “But I don’t see what I can do. I just have degrees in literature, writing, and mythology. I don’t have any expertise in any of this stuff.”Chief Strauss sighed and nodded. “I understand this is hard to take in, but the team needs your expertise on the symbols that are carved into their wrists. They think it’s a mythological symbol that the unsub has a connection too. So if you’re willing, you will join the team as a temporary consultant, you will stay with a member of the team at all times and will not go anywhere without one of them, are we clear.”Emmeline sighed and looked over the file once again. “Okay, I’ll do it” she finally said.

           Chief Strauss nodded and shook her hand. Emma took the file home with her. She sat at her desk and looked at the symbol on the victim’s wrist looked familiar to her but she couldn’t place it. Emmeline closed the file and called her editor to tell her that she wouldn’t make it to the signing tomorrow. She looked back at the file, with what she was going to tell her editor, she hoped that she wasn’t going to be a victim in one of those files afterwards.

* * *

            Emily Rhodes looked around the dark room. The last thing she remembered was walking home from work and then being knocked unconscious. She had no idea where she was or why she was here. Her arms and feet were chained to something in the ground. There was a wet sustenance all over her and around her. She noticed a strange symbol curved on her arm, her blood flowing down onto the floor. Emily felt adrenaline running through her.

            “Someone there… anyone?” she screamed as she saw a dark figure above her. “Please let me go.”

            The figure didn’t move until it picked up a pack of matches from a nearby table and lit up one of the matches.

            “Please I’ll do anything” Emily screamed with fear.

            The figure dropped the match onto the substance around Emily’s body.  She screamed in agony as the heat hit her flesh.

* * *

 Emma nervously entered the office of Aaron Hotchnor the unit chief. She peaked around the doorway as he waved her in the office. “You must be Emmeline Michelson. Chief Strauss said you would be consulting on this next case” Aaron Hotchnor said formally as he shook her hand and gestured her to have a seat.

            “Please Sir Call me Emma and you would be correct. I have looked over the case last night” She said as she sat down.

            Aaron looked at her.“That’s good. I have looked over your file that Chief Strauss gave me and I can see why she put you on as a consultant. It’s a pleasure to have you aboard. “He said with a smile.

            Emma could tell that he had been in this job for a long time. His eyes and face told her all she needed to know.

            “Oh and call me Hotch everyone on the team does.”  He spoke again as he looked back at the file.

            “Um sir the team is ready...” said a blonde woman. “Oh… I’m interrupting. I’m so sorry.”

            Hotch looked up.

            “It’s alright Garcia, this is Emma, and she will be consulting on this case.” He introduced.

            Emma stood up and looked at Garcia with an awkward smile.

            “I am Penelope Garcia technical analysis” she said as she shook Emma’s hand.

            “Get your go bags” Hotch said as he stood up and walked past them.

            Emma and Garcia looked at each other and walked after him. They walked into a room with a round table at the center and a screen in front of it.

            “This is Emmeline Michelson, she will consulting on this case with us. These are Agents Morgan, Rossi, Prentiss, Jareau, and Doctor Reid.” Hotch said as he sat down in his seat next to Rossi and Morgan. Emma smiled at each of them as Garcia pulled up an extra chair for her next to Reid. Emma smiled and thanked her as she sat down and looked at the screen.

            “Twenty six year old Cassandra York was stabbed multiple times in the chest and abdomen about a month ago, then last night Emily Rhodes who was Twenty three was burned to death. Both girls had an odd symbol on their wrists Cassandra’s body was found downtown in an alley and Emily’s body was found up town in a park.” Garcia said as she brought up pictures of the girls on the screen.

            “Well the killer has a type for women in their twenties, any sexual assault?” Morgan asked.

            Garcia shook her head.

            “No both girls did not have sex before they died and there was no DNA found on them or their clothes and there were no signs of a sexual attack.” She replied.

            “The killer goes from downtown in an alley to uptown in a park. One body is burned and the other is stabbed. Is this really the same unsub?” Rossi asked.

            “Both women had a strange symbol on their wrists.” Garcia said and pulled up the pictures.

            “Could be the unsub signature.” Jareau said.

            “Unsub?” Emma asked.

            “Stands for Unknown Subject, it’s what we call the killers.” Rossi explained. “The signature is what makes the unsub unique, it’s how we know the victims belong to this certain killer.”

            Emma looked at him in awe. This people were more experienced and complex then she thought. It wasn’t going to be easy to catch up with them.

            “Both marks are different on each victim and by the looks it seems to be post mortem to the stabbings and the burning. “Reid said so fast that Emma could feel her head spin.

            “The director wants this case to be solved soon with these two bodies, there is sure to be more bodies.” Hotch said. “Morgan and Rossi go check out the crime scenes; JJ and Prentiss go to the families’ houses and learn more about the victims try to find out why they were targeted. Reid, you and Emma go to the morgue to see the bodies, try to figure out what those symbols mean and the cause of death. Garcia dig into the financials of both victims also look for any gangs in the crime scene areas...”

            “Also look for any occults in the area. maybe they are part of a cult of some kind.” Reid told Garcia.

            “What makes you say that” Morgan asked Reid.

            “These symbols do not look like they’re from any kind of gang; they are too dark and specific, they look more symbolic for something and by the looks of them, they seem like something from an occult.” Reid explained.

            Emma looked at Reid as he explained. She wondered how he could talk so much and so fast.

            Garcia nodded and said “okay will do.”

            Everyone got up to do their assigned jobs. Emma followed after the tall and skinny Doctor Reid who had strange hair. They all gathered into the elevator.

            “I’ll call as soon as I something pops. Be Safe!” Garcia yelled as the elevator’s doors closed in her face.


	2. Chapter 2

             “What’s the new girl’s story?” Morgan asked Rossi as they walked towards the first crime scene.

            “She is a literature, writing, and mythology expert from what I heard from Erin” Rossi replied as he walked past yellow tape.

            “Think she is going to know something Reid doesn’t about these symbols?” Morgan asked as he followed beside Rossi.

            Rossi looked at him.“Even good ole doctor Reid doesn’t know everything Morgan” He replied as they finally got to the first crime scene.

            “Rossi look at those blood drops” Morgan said as he went to take a closer look. “There is a trail of them.”

            “So she was moved here, but why?” Rossi wondered as he walked around Morgan.

            “Either this spot has a meaning or the unsub was trying to get rid of the body.” Morgan said as he got up.

            Rossi looked around the crime scene as he walked. Suddenly he stopped.

            “What is it?” Morgan asked in concern.

            “There is another one of those symbols again. But it’s bigger and curved into the pavement.” Rossi explained as Morgan came to stand beside him.

            “What. The. Hell is going on Rossi.” He asked as he looked at the bigger symbol. “Doesn’t look good” Rossi replied as he dialed Hotch on his cell phone.

* * *

 

            Emma walked through the doors of the morgue. She was listening in and out of Reid’s explaining of something or other that she really wasn’t interested in. When they reached the medical examiner, Emma turned around to get away from looking at the bodies.

            “What’s the matter?” Reid asked turning around to look at her.

            Emma looked at him nervously. “Um, I’m never seen bodies up close.” She replied looking up at Reid.

            Reid smiled at her then turned to speak with the medical examiner. “The cause of death for the first victim was the stabbing and the second victim was the burning. My guess would be she was alive when she was burned.” The examiner said.

            “What about the symbols in the wrists.” Emma asked still looking the other way.

            “Judging by the carving of the symbols they were in fact carved there while they were alive.” The medical Examiner replied.

            “Can we look at their wrists?” Reid asked the medical examiner.He gestured the medical examiner to cover the bodies but not their arms. Reid walked over to Emma again and turned her around.

            “They’re all covered but the arms. We have to look at the carvings on their wrist and the sooner that is done the sooner we can leave.” He told her.

            Emma shook her head and followed after Reid. She bent down over each woman’s wrist closely and examined them. They were both different symbols however the shapes were similar for each one. Emma looked up at Reid.

            “These symbols do look familiar” she said. “But I can’t remember where I have seen them.”

            Reid nodded and thanked the medical examiner as he left the room. Emma followed behind him.

            “Can we go by the library before we head back? I need to refresh my memory.” She asked as they walked out.

            “Anything particular? I may have it” Reid replied to her.

            “Would you happen to know about alchemy?” Emma asked him hoping he didn’t think she was crazy.

            “Isn’t that the suppose science that became known today as Chemistry. It is mostly used for magic in most literature.” Reid replied in surprise. “You think those symbols could be linked to alchemy?”

            Emma sighed. “They don’t look like occult symbols at least not any of the usual occults. It can’t hurt to check.” She said.

            Reid nodded as his phone started to ring “Hello?” Reid said into his phone.

            “Any luck with the medical examiner?” Hotch asked.

            “Nothing we didn’t already know. But Emma looked at the symbols and she thinks she has an idea of what they are.” Reid explained as he looked at Emma.

            “Good, the two of you get to the crime scenes. Rossi and Morgan found more symbols there. Maybe Emma will have an idea about them as well. The rest are heading back here to the BAU, you two join after you visit the crime scenes.” Hotch said to Reid and hung up.

            “The library trip will have to wait, Rossi and Morgan found more symbols at the crime scenes. Hotch wants you to look at them as well.” Reid explained to Emma. “Why would this unsub want to kill these women and leave alchemy symbols around?”

            Emma shrugged.  “I’m not sure but I hope my theory is wrong.” She replied meeting eyes with Reid.

* * *

 

            David Arnold walked down the sidewalk on his way to the store. He was turning the curb when someone came up behind him and knocked him in the head. David went down and was dragged into a vehicle.He woke up in a lab looking place. A female with short brown hair was standing over him. He looked around him and saw that rocks were round him. His hands and legs were tied up. “Hello David.” The female said in a sadistic voice. Before David could say anything, the female took the knife from the nearby table and walked over to David. David tried to move away but he was stuck. “Please don’t hurt me.” he begged and the female took the knife and stabbed the end of the blade into her wrist. David screamed as the female carved into his flash.

* * *

 

            “These girls seem so random. Their three years apart in age.” J.J said to the others while looking at the photos.

            Morgan picked up his phone and dialed Garcia’s number. “Hey baby girl, got anything good?” he asked her.

            “Hate to disappoint you sugar, but both Cassandra and Emily backgrounds and financials are clear both were spot on in time for taxes.  Neither one had so much as a parking ticket. However they did go to the same college but other than that there are no connections between them and no red flags on any of thing.” Garcia said as she typed away on her computer.

            Morgan sighed.“Thanks mama, call you if we get anything.” He said as he hung up. “Garcia said both girls are clean and the only connection to each other is that they when to the same college.”

            “The families said that they both were dedicated to school, never partied. They were just two good college students.” J.J replied as she sat down.

            “Reid said that Emma has an idea on the symbols found on the bodies. They are heading to the crime scenes now. It may be the only lead we have at this point.” Hotch said to them as he walked into the team’s room.

            “Emma’s a mythology, literature and writing expert. If she has an idea on these symbols, maybe the unsub has a connect with mythology or literature of some kind” Prentiss said.

            “Maybe but we still need a little more to build a profile.” Hotch replied.


	3. Chapter 3

          Reid and Emma returned to the BAU and entered the meeting room. Reid was carrying the few books that they had got from the library on the way.

            “Are those for light bed time reading or is that got something to do with the case?” Morgan asked as he watched Reid put the books on the table.

            “Those are actually mine and in fact if I am right, they do have something to do with the case.” Emma replied still standing up.

            “Mind sharing with us?” Rossi said to Emma as he stood up next to the boards.

            Emma walked over to the pictures of the symbols from both crime scenes and on the victims’ wrists. She turned to look at the team.

            “These mark are the marks that represent the four elements that is used in science that because known today as Chemistry and is in fact for magic in most literature. This symbols at the crime scenes are the symbols identical to  ...” Emma started to explain.

            “Fullmetal Alchemist!” Garcia exclaimed out of nowhere and then became quiet after the looks from the others.

            “Yes Garcia, but more specifically to Alchemy.” Emma finished with small smile.

            “So the unsub is killing their victims based on the Elements?” J.J asked more than a little confused.

            “We think that the unsub takes the victim’s blood and something that she believes to represent the specific elements.” Reid explained.

            “But why? What’s the point of all this?” Rossi asked with a skeptical look on his face.

            “Alchemy is used for a few things, turning metal into gold, magical powers, and according to the Alchemist Nicholas Flammel, make the exlir of life known as the philosopher stone.” Emma explained.

            “Like in those children books, Harry Potter?” Prentiss asked getting looks from the team. “What I have read them.”

            Emma smiled and mentally thanked that she wasn’t the only one who read those books.

            “So it’s possible that the unsub knows or has an interest in these things?” Hotch asked Emma.

            She nodded at him, she wasn’t sure if they actually believed her. Reid was surly on her side. At least by the way he backed her up in explaining. Hotch looked over to Garcia.

            “Look for college students enrolled in chemistry programs. Try the college that both victims went too.” Hotch ordered.

            “The kills seems hesitate and it looks like the unsub was hesitate at killing. However the second is the opposite.” Rossi stated looking at the photos. “This unsub is evolving fast, we need to deliver the profile soon.”

            “Judging by the cuts on the wrists of both women, this unsub is careful” Prentiss said. “Maybe even a female.”

            “Men are usually sloppier and this unsub has a lot of control and knows what they’re doing.” Morgan replied.

            “It’s time to give the profile. Good job you two.” Hotch said to Reid and Emma.

            Reid smiled over at Emma as he got up. Emma sighed in relief. They didn’t think she was insane or crazy. But then again after seeing all this stuff all the time, she is probably the sanest person they ever met. She walked after Reid out to the room in the bigger area. Police and cops were everywhere sitting around.

            “Be on the lookout for a white female in her early to mid-twenties. She may seem withdrawn and distance and avoid eye contact with people she is not familiar with.” Prentiss stated.

            “We believe she is killing to complete a rival that she believes is real and she maybe a fan of mythological things and sciences, specifically chemistry.” Morgan took over.

            Emma watched and listened as the other gave the profile. It was so mind blowing how smart they sounded and professional. She felt like she was at home watching this on TV. But it is so much different in person. It’s scarier and seems more real.

            The police and cops were dismissed and Morgan, Prentiss, and Rossi returned to the group. Garcia ran up to them with a sticky note in her hand.

            “I checked through students in the colleges of the two victims and it turns out both victims were in a chemistry program. So I checked to see who were all in the program and applied to the program and with our profile, one person popped. Twenty four year old Sophie Willison, her application was not accepted do to her thesis was not counted as a true science. Her thesis was on alchemy and how to make a real exlir of life!” Garcia said in her fast voice.

            “We have a problem; David Arnold was reported missing over an hour ago.” J.J said as Garcia finished.

            “It’s go time then, it has to be her. “Rossi said.

            “Garcia, find where she could be. Emma goes with her. The rest of us will get going on the road, send us the address to her personal house and to the university.” Hotch ordered Garcia

            Emma followed Garcia into her room full of computer screens. She looked round in awe at all the colorful stuff around. “Welcome to my cave!” Garcia said happily as she started to type on the keyboard.Emma pulled up a chair and sat next to her. She watched her type for a while and then had to look at one of the other screens.“You really don’t take that long to send those addresses?” She asked in surprise. “Oh Hun, this stuff does even get my blood up.” Garcia replied still typing.

            Emma smiled weakly then thought for a while. If Sophie was going to try and make the exlir of life… would it really be at her own house? Emma suddenly thought of something.  “Garcia did Sophie have a building somewhere or anyplace at all. It would have to be a pretty wide spot. Like… a storage unit or something.” Emma asked as she dialed the phone and put it on speaker.

            Hotch answered the phone.

            “Sophie wouldn’t go to the university or to her house. She would need somewhere wider like a storage unit or something...” Emma said as Garcia typed.

            “Willison’s father had a personal lab near their vacation house; it was left to Sophie to research for her thesis.” Garcia said. “Send you the address ASAP”

            “Great job Garcia and you as well Emma” Hotch said before hanging up.

            “So what do we do now?” Emma said to Garcia

            “Wait and pray” Garcia said to her.

            Emma sighed as she lay back in her chair. Before she could get too comfortable in the chair, a noise came from the outside Garcia’s cave. The two girls ran out to meet the rest of the team. Rossi and Morgan had a brown short haired girl in hand cuffs. Her green eyes looked sinister and she grinned at Emma as she walked by.

            “We did it. We save David all thank to your help.” Reid said as he came up to her in his bullet proof vest.

            “I’m happy to help. But I’m sure you would have been fine without me” Emma said slightly embarrassed.

            “Sophie isn’t saying anything, Reid, Emma maybe you two should try to talk to her “Hotch said.

            “m-me?” Emma said alarmed at what Hotch had said.

            “You will most likely be able to reach her since you know and understand what it was she was trying to do. Reid will go with you as protection.” Hotch said.

            Reid put a hand on her shoulder and led her up to the interrogating room. They sat across from Sophie who was looking up at the ceiling.

            Emma took a breath then said, “Creating an exlir of life… that is grant worthy research if it wasn’t anything but fiction.” Sophie looked at her. Her eyes looked foggy with arrogance.

            “Grant worthy?” Sophie said with a laugh. “I wanted to be immortal. We mortals are weak and fragile. I would be like Nicholas Flammel.”

            “Nicholas Flammel is a tale Sophie. There is no such thing” Reid said putting his hands on the table. “No such thing huh? There is always such a thing when you believe right?” Sophie said as she looked at Emma.

            “Sophie I understand believing in something and wanting it to be real. But you killed so many people.” Emma said sitting up and moving closer. “Nicholas Flammel did in fact create a philosopher stone or the exlir of life. But like everything else, being immortal has consequences to it. Nicholas and his wife ended up dying in the end.”

            Sophie snickered then smiled. “Mine would have been so much better than those old fools.” She said.

            Emma and Reid walked out of the interrogation room and met up with the others.

            “The lab found her DNA and the supply at the lab matched what was used on both victims.” J.J told them.

            “She is going away for a long time.” Rossi remarked as Emma past him.

            Reid followed after her. “You okay?” he asked her. Emma smiled and turned to look at him. “I hate it when psycho use thing like the theory of alchemy for terrible things.” She replied as she held in her tears.

            Reid nodded then looked from his feet to back to her face. “For every psycho that uses it for evil, there is someone who uses it for good. Everything is balanced out.” He said to her.

            Emma nodded in agreement and sniffed. “Thanks doctor.” She said to him. “Spence, you can call me Spence. So umm are you gonna consult again soon?” he asked his voice shaky. Emma smiled and shrugged. “Maybe when I clear my head from all of this. You know.” She replied as she put her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll see ya Spence”

            Emma walked out of the door of the BAU and turned again to look at Reid and smiled before stepping into the elevator. Consulting was an experience she was sure that she wanted to forget. However the people of the BAU were sure to be something she hoped to never forget. After meeting and watching them in person, gives new perspective that TV could only dream of giving a viewer.


End file.
